Aria of the Seas
by Rainy Phantasm
Summary: They belonged to two different worlds. SpaMano. Human & merfolk AU.
1. Prologue

**This will be a multi-chapter fairytale-esque fanfiction featuring my OTP, SpaMano. **

**I have spent a while planning out the plot of this story, and so I'm excited to be finally able to start posting it!**

**Characters: Romano (Lovino), Spain (Antonio), Belgium (Bella), Liechtenstein (Lili), Ancient Rome (Roma)**

******Nyotalia Characters: Fem!Italy (Feliciana)**

**Pairings: SpaMano, SpaBel, RomanoxLiechtenstein, GerIta**

**AU: Human & merfolk**

**Disclaimer: Hetalia: Axis Powers © Hidekaz Himaruya**

* * *

**ARIA OF THE SEAS**

**Prologue**

One of the things that 20-year-old Antonio Carriedo loved most was the ocean.

The sound of thundering waves and the scent of sea salt calmed him like nothing else. Whenever he felt depressed or angry, Antonio would walk to the beach he lived near and just sit there in the warm sand with the tides lapping at his bare feet, letting the sounds and smells wash over him in waves.

There was something mystical about the ocean: it seemed to stretch infinitely into the horizon line, and in the depths of the blue-green waters, there was a whole new world. It amazed Antonio. Seeing the ocean made him feel like he was only a small fragment of a universe full of secrets yet to be discovered by mankind, and yet made him feel at peace with the world.

On some occasions, Antonio would go to the beach to surf. Surfing was a sport he picked up two years ago and had never given up on ever since. It took his mind off things that bothered him: his relationship with his mother, finding a stable full-time job for the summer, attending culinary arts college, and how he felt about his girlfriend, Bella.

That summer evening found Antonio in his wetsuit, paddling in the seawater on his surfboard, a concentrated expression on his face. He was waiting for the perfect wave. Finally, when the waves picked him up and he felt as if he was soaring, nothing else was on his mind except for the thrill.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

The merfolk—creatures with the upper body of a human and the tail of a fish—lived at the bottom of the ocean. Like humans, they were mortal, and could sing and speak. Unlike humans, they were able to breathe and see underwater, and could not survive for long on land in their fish form.

Their species is said to have existed centuries ago, from the times of the Greeks. The Greeks' sea god, Poseidon, fell in love with a human, and impregnated her. She gave birth to a mermaid, and soon after, they began to populate the depths of the oceans. However, as their population flourished, chaos ensued. Kingdoms had formed underwater, and there were harsh battles over resources and area. Today, two kingdoms remained, dominating the North Atlantic Ocean: the East Atlantic Kingdom and the West Atlantic Kingdom.

Lovino Vargas was the prince of the East Atlantic Kingdom, grandson of King Roma and heir to the throne.

When a merperson turned 18, he or she needed to partake in a ritual called the Harmony, a quiet ceremony that involved summoning the spirit of an ancestor. If all went well, the merperson would be granted the ability to attain human legs whenever they were on land.

To maintain peace between the East Atlantic and the West Atlantic Kingdoms, King Roma and King Germania—the ruler of the West Atlantic—reached an agreement that their eldest grandchildren would be wed after the passing of their Harmony rituals. Their marriage would symbolize the unity of the two merfolk kingdoms. This way, there would be no more bloodshed and resources would be shared, instead of fought over.

Lovino was turning 18 in one week. Surely, he was happy about acquiring human legs and the prospect of their former rivals uniting with them. However, he was more anxious than happy. The fear of failing his Harmony or King Germania changing his mind about the marriage was a storm cloud constantly on his mind, and there was the feeling of dread tugging at his heart that even Lovino himself could not explain.

"Lovino, may I speak with you for a minute?"

Lovino turned his head and saw his grandfather swimming towards him, a serious look on his wrinkled face. "What do you want?" he asked harshly, scowling.

"You know how absolutely vital it is to pass your Harmony," Roma began.

"I do! I've practiced singing my song, over and over!" he shouted, annoyed. His grandfather had nagged him constantly about the importance of passing his Harmony ever since Lovino had been able to talk, and it was quite annoying and only increased the pressure and stress he felt.

"That is only the first step. Keep in mind that your marriage with the West Atlantic Princess is what will keep us and the West Atlantic Kingdom at peace, so you must not do anything that will make them change their mind. We cannot afford to go to war with them."

Lovino swallowed hard and nodded. This was no time for his own feelings. "I understand, Grandfather."

Before turning tail and swimming away, Roma whispered into his ear, "Remember, your actions will affect the history of our people. I'm counting on you."

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

One may or may not believe in destiny, but everything happens for a reason.

Two boys...

Two very different worlds—one of spirits and secrets, and one of flaws and civilization...

The line separating the two has begun to blur...

Perhaps it is destiny. Perhaps it is luck. Perhaps it is meant to be.

Their futures are in their hands.

* * *

**...And that was a glimpse of the lives of the main characters!**

**This was just the prologue. The regular chapters will [probably] be longer.**

**Review so I will feel motivated to post more!**


	2. Hazel

**Well, this is longer than I thought it would be. **

**Let's hear Antonio's side of the story first!**

**Disclaimer: Hetalia: Axis Powers © Hidekaz Himaruya**

* * *

**ARIA OF THE SEAS**

**1. Hazel**

"Guess who's home, Mom!" Antonio called cheerfully as he stepped into the small house, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder and a suitcase in tow.

He was happy, because today was the start of his summer break. He was so grateful he could finally take a well-deserved break from college. As much as he loved cooking and studying the culinary arts, being constantly pressured by his slave driver of a professor was not enjoyable. The three months of summer stretched deliciously in front of him, like a long, golden pathway. There was so much he could do: surf, go out with friends, find a job—anything was possible.

Antonio sighed happily. He had missed... this. It had been a year since he had last seen these familiar paint-chipped walls and walked on this tiled floor; college was an hour's drive away from where he lived with his mother in Bilbao, and he had been so busy—even during his winter and spring breaks—that he did not have a chance to visit. Now, he finally could. _Home_. He was finally home.

His bubble of happiness was popped, however, when he realized his mother did not answer him. "...Mom?" he called out again, hesitantly. No answer. _Did something happen?_

Anxious, Antonio dropped his bags and rushed into the kitchen. The lights were turned on, but only dead silence greeted him.

He tried to suppress the fears welling up inside him. No, she could not have gone grocery shopping—it was already 8 o'clock in the evening. He had phoned her earlier to let her know he was coming home soon, and she had even told Antonio she would be waiting for him; she couldn't have gone out without letting him know.

He hurried up the stairs and into his mother's bedroom.

His eyes widened in surprise and disbelief when he saw his mother laying on the bed, next to... an empty bottle of wine.

Antonio moved closer to her. Yes, that was definitely the smell of alcohol on her breath._ What the...? Since when did she drink? _"Mom?" He took her by the shoulders and shook her firmly, then moved her up to a sitting position.

She groaned as she slowly opened her bloodshot eyes. "A-Antonio? You're home sso early!" she rasped. She raised a shaky hand to brush stray wisps of curly brown hair out of her sweaty face.

"It's already 8 in the evening. But what the hell, Mom? You never told me you drank." Antonio frowned, as he quickly filled a cup from the bathroom with water and handed it to her.

"What I drink isch none of your bussinesch, sson," his mother managed to say, after she took a swig of water. "Now, be a ggood boy and cook me schome paella."

Antonio sighed. He had forgotten how uncaring and unaware his mother really was; although last year, she was much better than this. Ever since she and his father had divorced six years ago because of their constant disagreements, she had slowly deteriorated, changing from a lively, joyful woman into a depressed, emotionless wax doll. Now to come back a year later and find out she had started drinking...

What was even worse was that he would not be able to control what his mother did. After all, in three months, he would be once again saying goodbye and leaving for his college an hour away. He worried about his mother's health, but he simply did not have the time to care about what she was doing—he had college and also needed to work (his mother was a florist, but did not make enough money to support both of them).

_Dios mío_, what was he to do? Antonio exhaled slowly. His stomach growled, reminding him that he did not have dinner yet. He headed downstairs; might as well make some paella for both of them.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

"I've missed you guys so much!" Antonio said, giving Gilbert and Francis a warm (bro) hug.

"Ah, mon ami, I can say the same to you!" Francis hugged back, albeit a little tighter than what would be considered just friendly.

"That's old news; everyone misses the awesome me!"

It was the afternoon on the next day, and Antonio was out on the sunny beach with his two best friends, Gilbert and Francis, hoping to catch a few waves.

Gilbert and Francis had gone to the same high school Antonio did. There, the three had been inseparable. But because Gilbert and Francis ended up attending a different college from Antonio's, it had kept them apart for the past year. However, summer had arrived and the Bad Touch Trio was back together once again.

"Check out my awesome new surfboard! It's almost as awesome as me!"

"C'est très belle, mon ami, but you've told us about it a hundred times before this already."

"Well then, wait until I demonstrate my awesome, kick-ass surfing skills!"

"Um, Gil, have you ever even surfed before?" Antonio asked, curious. Francis had surfed with him a few times last summer, but he had never ever seen Gilbert on a surfboard.

"...I'm a fast learner! I'll be more awesome than you before you know it!"

Antonio and France both chucked at Gilbert's remark. He truly had missed his friends. It felt so good to be reunited with them, laughing with them, without a care in the world. His problems were no longer on his mind.

With the hot afternoon sun shining upon them, the three waded into the ocean, dressed in wetsuits, carrying their surfboards with them. Both Antonio and Francis bombarded Gilbert, the newbie surfer, with tips on how to ride the waves.

"Try to keep your weight centered on the surfboard. And remember to bend your legs!"

"You've got to _ride_ the wave. Ride it the way you ride women," Francis offered with a sly grin.

Gilbert smirked at his pun. "How's that supposed to work?"

"Shut up, Francis!" Antonio said, as an attempt to be serious (surfing was dangerous if the person didn't know what to do!), but he couldn't stop himself from laughing. It had been a while since he had heard Francis say something perverted or Gilbert call himself awesome, and he had missed both of them so much.

"Oui, oui... However, if you ever do need it, I know plenty of women that—"

"Enough talk! I'm an expert at swimming and I've watched plenty of surfers do their thing. I'm sure I will be able to do the same, except with ten times more awesomeness," Gilbert finally said, with an air of confidence.

Far ahead, a wave was approaching. Smiling with a glint of determination in his pale eyes, the albino pushed ahead of his friends, eager to conquer a wave for the first time. He could see the dark blue mass, crowned with white sea foam, coming towards him, daring him to give it a shot.

And he did. Gilbert lay down on his surfboard and paddled towards it furiously. He turned, and as the wave finally reached him, he stood up on his surfboard, a look of triumph on his face as he grinned at his two friends, who were watching him from afar. He was surfing!

That look was quickly destroyed, however, when suddenly Gilbert realized he couldn't stay balanced on the board._ Crap!_ The wave plunged over his head and he was suddenly in the water, sputtering and coughing. Damn it, where was his surfboard? He blindly reached upwards and felt the smooth fiberglass floating above him, and clutched it tightly in relief.

When Gilbert finally swum back to shore, dripping wet and looking a little miffed, garnering curious stares from others on the beach, it took all of Antonio's and Francis's willpower to hold back their laughter. The telltale signs of their twitching lips gave them away, however.

That certainly hurt his pride. "I bet I was still more awesome than you guys were during your first times!" Gilbert retorted.

Francis couldn't stop himself. "Ah, my first time..."

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Later, Gilbert had forgotten about his surfing fiasco, and the trio had sat in the sand, watching the sun dip the sky into hues of orange and purple, and caught up on things that had happened in the past year. This included Gilbert recounting his horrible tales about his college professors that hated him, Francis admitting that his long-term girlfriend had broken up with him after discovering that he had a one-night stand ("I was drunk; it was an accident!"), and Antonio revealing how his mother treated him on his first day back home.

After much laughing, consoling, and disbelief—and learning vital life lessons on Francis's part ("No matter how drunk you are, you never cheat on a lady!" Antonio had scolded him. "Or a man...")—the three were comfortably silent, simply enjoying each others' presences, with only the relaxing sound of gentle waves in the background. The beach was empty now; everyone else on the beach had already left, now that the Sun was setting.

"So, what do you guys want to do tonight? Grab dinner at a local restaurant?" Gilbert finally asked, interrupting the peaceful silence.

Francis yawned. "Sounds good to me," he lazily replied.

Antonio hesitated. "I really would like to come, but my mother... I've already been out for hours. I don't want to see her in that state again."

"Darn. Well, like I always say, if you can't go out, bring the party with you!" Gilbert exclaimed. "We'll come over instead! We can order takeout, if you don't feel like cooking."

"Sure, I..." Antonio was about to gladly agree when something caught his eye.

There was something, out in the ocean... It was quite a distance away; he could barely make out what it was... It was shaped strangely like a... He paled.

...like a human head.

It _was_ a human. Antonio's eyes widened. It seemed like it was a young woman. Only her head was visible—the water came up to her neck. He could just make out the long brown hair that fell past the girl's shoulders in soft waves. Yes, it was definitely a female.

And her eyes... _Dios mío_. They were a light shade of hazel, glittering in the setting Sun. They were startlingly beautiful, framed by thick lashes. Antonio hadn't seen anything like them.

The young woman was staring back at him now. She didn't look scared... Why wasn't she scared? Why wasn't she calling for help? The girl was in the middle of the ocean! And yet, she was just simply staring at Antonio. It seemed like she was even... smiling at him! His heart raced as he panicked—he had to help the poor girl before she drowned!

How in the world did she even get all the way there?

"Antonio, mon ami, are you alright?" He felt Francis's hand on his shoulder.

"Guys, look at the ocean," Antonio said, still pale. "Can you see that?"

"See what?" Gilbert asked, confused. "All I see is water and more water."

Antonio looked back to the area in the middle of the ocean, where the woman was—or had been.

She had vanished without a trace.

Was he seeing things? Had the stress of college really gotten to him?

"It was nothing," Antonio muttered, just as confused as Gilbert. He didn't want his friends to start thinking he was crazy. He stood up and brushed the sand off his legs, ignoring the strange looks that they were giving him. He forced a large smile upon his face and pretended that nothing had happened. "Let's just go to my house!"

He could not forget that girl's eyes, however. The bright hazel orbs had been imprinted in the back of Antonio's mind.

* * *

Dios mío = Oh my God (Spanish)

C'est très belle, mon ami = It's very beautiful, my friend (French)

Oui, oui = Yes, yes (French)

**Review, review, review!**

**Critique is welcome, so I'll know what I need to improve on!**


	3. Eighteen

**Wah, it's been a busy week for me, and it's only going to get busier next week.**

**I'm just grateful that it's the weekend. ****Sleep... oh how much I've missed you!**

**Disclaimer: Hetalia: Axis Powers © Hidekaz Himaruya**

* * *

**ARIA OF THE SEAS**

**2. Eighteen**

"Lovi, Lovi, Lovi!~"

Lovino woke to very high-pitched and very familiar squeals in the underwater cavern where he slept. _My freaking sister, waking me up once again with her blabbering!_ "Fuck off, Feliciana! I'm trying to sleep!" He pulled his seaweed blanket over his head as he remained laying down in the cool sand at the bottom of the ocean. How dare she interrupt his beauty—er, manly—sleep!

She ignored his protest. "No, it's already almost noon! And Lovi, aren't you excited?"

He grumbled, reluctantly opening his eyes and warily scanning the small cavern littered with his treasure and belongings, before meeting the eyes of the energetic mermaid floating in the water in front of him: his annoying 16-year-old sister. There wasn't a point in trying to sleep any longer; once Feliciana started talking, she wouldn't stop. He lazily ran a hand through his short, tousled dark hair as asked, irritated, "What's there to be excited for?"

Feliciana giggled, her light brown hair flowing in silky waves around her and her hazel eyes blinking with innocence as she swam in small circles around her brother, the light blue scales of her tail catching and reflecting sunlight. She and Lovino were complete polar opposites when it came to personalities; Lovino often wondered how they could even be related. "Tomorrow's your 18th birthday, silly!"

Lovino scowled at her and chose not to reply, knowing all too well of the fact that he was turning 18 tomorrow. He didn't need his annoying little sister to remind him; how could he forget? It was going to be one of the most important days in his young life: he was going to perform his Harmony.

The Harmony was a ritual that all merfolk, when they turned 18, needed to perform in order to gain the ability to grow human legs whenever they wished. It was a quiet ceremony, involving the merperson to swim ashore in the middle of the night and sing a special song to summon a spirit that would, if pleased with the merperson's singing, give the said merperson the power to attain human legs and also a prophecy. If the spirit was not happy with the merperson, however, he or she would be doomed to remain in the water for the rest of his or her life.

Lovino had mixed feelings about tomorrow. On one hand, he was very nervous on the inside. Ever since he had been able to talk, his grandfather, King Roma, reminded him constantly about his approaching 18th birthday and his Harmony. Along with his duties as prince, there was so much stress, pressure, and expectation! He knew everything he needed to do for the ceremony, of course, but there could always be something that could go terribly wrong. Lovino knew he absolutely could not fail it—he was the prince and heir to the throne of the Kingdom, after all; what good would he be as king if he could not even walk on land?

On the other hand, he was excited. Passing his Harmony meant being able to grow human legs—he would finally be able to go onshore and explore the mysterious human world! Merfolk that did not have this ability were forbidden to venture onto land, as they would endanger the merfolk population if humans caught sight of them.

Ah, humans. Lovino had grown up learning that humans were dangerous creatures who treated other animals as inferior and test subjects. They were also extremely cruel, murdering others or committing unspeakable crimes without reason. However, the merfolk could not deny that they did have human blood in them. As well, they would not be able to sustain their population without them—humans had food, weapons, tools, and other resources that were scarce in the ocean. This was why passing the Harmony and learning to blend in and benefit from humans was so crucial for Lovino as a prince.

He and Feliciana had heard curious stories about the human world from older merfolk. Mathias told them about an edgy, fizzy drink humans called "beer" that he tried at a "bar" (a place where humans downed drinks that made you feel all "woozy", although Lovino wasn't sure what Mathias meant by that). Elizabeta told them about the beautiful, breathtaking stars in the night sky that made you feel so small. Roma told them about dazzling necklaces and gemstones humans made, cut and set perfectly in gold or silver.

Feliciana had been enthralled, absolutely adoring these stories. For Lovino, hearing these tales often made wonder how humans could be so heartless if the world they lived in and the things they created were so beautiful.

Yes, tomorrow night Lovino would finally be able to satisfy his growing curiosity.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

After Lovino started ignoring her pointless chattering, Feliciana had gotten bored and decided to go to her cavern to do... whatever she had said she was going to do—he hadn't been paying attention.

Lovino was eating breakfast (consisting of tomatoes, a human fruit that was now being cultivated by merfolk underwater) when he heard Roma's booming, authoritative voice come from his sister's room. "Miss Feliciana Vargas! You are in deep trouble!"

Great. All he needed was another loud, nagging voice to disturb his peace. Lovino swam out of his cavern to see what was the commotion was about.

He was not surprised to his grandfather with a furious expression on his face, in all his wrinkled-skin, bristled-chin glory, pointing an angry finger at a cowering Feliciana in the corner of the cavern. His sister was much sneakier than her innocent features made her seem, and always managed to get away with things like having extra helpings during meals or spending money on extravagant things. However, Lovino had never seen Roma this infuriated before.

"You snuck out last evening! Don't try to deny it, Berwald saw you!" Berwald was the name of Roma's assistant; he was a solemn, expressionless merman who didn't speak much.

Feliciana shrank backwards, her bottom lip trembling. "But, Grandpa—"

Roma's voice quietened. "I do not want to hear your silly excuses. You were watching the humans, weren't you?"

Silence.

Lovino's eyes widened. He knew his sister was fascinated by the human world and that she would still have to wait two more years before her Harmony, but he didn't know she would go to such desperate measures to experience it for herself. There were many dangers of pulling off a stunt like Feliciana did.

"_Were you seen?_"

His sister's slight hesitation before crying out a stuttered "N-no!" only pointed to one answer. But before Roma could scold her for what she had done, Feliciana started yelling hysterically, defying her grandfather's words in a way that Lovino would have even admired, if his eardrums had not been subjected to his sister's shrill screams. "The humans can't be as terrible as you say they are! I saw three of them, with my own eyes! They looked happy... even _friendly_! They look and act almost just like us!"

Roma was livid. He equally adored both of his grandchildren, but when one was thinking and doing such naïve things that could get their people hurt...

Before the argument could proceed any further, Lovino decided to interrupt them, irritated by all the yelling and not wanting to see his little sister get punished. Roma was a kind and just merman when he was happy and relaxed, but when angry, he could get very brutal. Apparently it was useful back in the days of the wars, but now, it was just plain scary. "Feli won't sneak out anymore, okay? I'll make sure of that. Now can you both just shut the hell up? I don't want a headache when the day has just begun."

Roma looked unconvinced but slightly calmer. He finally turned away from Feliciana, who now appeared extremely relieved. "Oh yes, Lovino. We still need to discuss your engagement."

At the mention of this, Lovino groaned. Oh, yes. He was going to marry some mermaid princess from the West Atlantic that he didn't even _know_, for the sake of peace between the two kingdoms. The princess was probably a gruff mermaid with broad shoulders and muscular arms, considering how fearsome he had heard the West Atlantic merfolk were. Lovino grimaced at the mental image; he knew he was rather slender for a merman, so if his... future wife was more muscular than him, he would be too embarrassed to face her. He hoped she wasn't. "What about it?" he asked sullenly, his arms crossed.

"The marriage will be taking place two months from now," Roma told him matter-of-factly.

_Only two months._ Two months before he would have to abandon his relatively peaceful life. Two months before he would be marrying a _stranger_. I-it just wasn't what he wanted. Fuck anyone who thought he was cheesy, but he actually wanted to know and at least _like_ the mermaid before deciding whether or not to marry her.

After hearing his grandson's complaints, Roma tapped his chin, looking thoughtful. "Actually, that can be arranged for before the wedding. I can ask the princess to come visit," he responded, winking.

That wasn't what Lovino wanted.

* * *

**Ahaha, some of the parts in this chapter remind me of The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. xD **

**Roma is scary when he's angry.**


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